About Us

Meet the Team

PearFiction Studios combines the talents of an innovative entrepreneurial designer and a team of trailblazing developers and artists, with a shared belief that amazing design and innovation can result in awesome experiences.

THIERRY SEMOFF

Founder, CEO

Thierry had a journal already full to bursting with business adventures before starting PearFiction. This aerospace tech turned multimedia entrepreneur has shepherded the growth and development of award-winning companies, and helmed the production of a small army of eLearning courses, training solutions, educational games, and web-based systems over the course of his career. Years of insight into the software creation process at every stage of development has equipped him to captain the PearFiction rocket, while a passion for great games serves as fuel.

MICHEL ETTER

Creative Director

Michel’s passion for drawing and creating has been a guiding light on a 30-year-long journey as a creative director and illustrator. Children’s books, web games, storyboards for eLearning, and major franchise releases on the Game Boy Advance are just a few of the things he has helped to shape during his diverse professional incarnations. You might recognize titles he worked on as a lead artist, like Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS) and Battles of Prince of Persia (Game Boy Advance).

ALAN REDENSEK

Game Developer

Alan Redensek grew up alongside PCs. No one can, in fact, confirm he is not simply the skinbound iteration of the devices he loves so much and knows so much about. A lifetime of watching the growth of PC capabilities has given him an appreciation of what is currently possible alongside a nostalgia for the early days of games like Space Quest and Day of the Tentacle. He has 30 years of experience working with computer software and hardware, and a background in logistics and process management.

Our Story

The Origin

Thierry Semoff, CEO of PearFiction Studios, cut his teeth on digital startups when he launched Taimma Communications in 2005 (54th on the CANADA’s PROFIT 2012 list). Taimma was a medical communication agency, specializing in the development of training software, eLearning courses, and educational games for clinical healthcare, life sciences, biomedical, and pharmaceutical industries worldwide. Taimma was acquired on April, 2012, by Ebix Inc., an Atlanta-based insurance software provider that trades on NASDAQ.

A JUICY STARTUP

When Thierry founded PearFiction Studios in 2014, he was joined by former colleagues Michel Etter (Creative Director) and Alan Redensek (Senior Game Developer). They’ve always been passionate about education, games, and technology—launching an indie studio was a logical next step. In September of 2014, PearFiction Studios acquired the complete game portfolio of U.S.-based FantAppstic Apps, which included hit games such as Hamster Hero, Granny vs Zombies, Roller Derby Dash, and Wild Surfer Girl.

“The acquisition of more than 80 games and apps streamlined our understanding of user behavior, demographics, and successful monetization strategies. This would have taken us years had we developed from scratch, considering it takes 3 to 4 months to deliver a new title.” ―Thierry

GROWING UP

While the studio continued to expand its portfolio, the team learned from the games and users of their growing catalog.

“We were experienced custom app developers before PearFiction Studios, but we only had a glimpse of what apps and games mass-market publishing would be.” –Thierry

In November 2014, PearFiction Studios created its home on rue St. Laurent, the ley line of Montreal’s trendy Plateau Mont Royal district. That same season, Blitz Racer became an overwhelming success for PearFiction, winning the Pocket Gamer Silver Award.

“We love retro games! Using simple game mechanics allows us to be more creative and place our focus on the 2D pixel graphics. Keep in mind that Tiny Necromancer will be re-released, new and improved, in fall 2015. ” ―Michel